Financing and Insurance Information

We know you may have questions and concerns about the cost of weight loss surgery procedures. We employ dedicated staff, advocacy with insurance companies and open communication with you to try to make your experience one that allows you to make informed decisions about paying for surgery. Some insurers have elected to include weight loss surgery coverage and some have not.

Do I have Insurance Coverage?

1. First of all we need to determine if you have insurance coverage that may cover all or part of your recommended treatments.
2. You should contact your insurance company by phone (there will be a phone number on the back of your insurance card) and ask this question, “Do I have coverage for weight loss surgery?” This will help you to know what your insurance will pay for, even before you come to see us for the first time.

Yes I have Insurance Coverage!

Q. What will my insurance pay and what will I pay?
A. If you have coverage on your policy (about 80 % of our surgical patients have insurance coverage for most of the expenses related to weight loss surgery.) In this situation, your insurance will have certain guidelines or criteria you must meet to be approved to have bariatric (weight loss) surgery. It is a very good idea to ask them to supply you with the criteria for your plan.

Even when Insurances cover weight loss surgery, they may not pay for all expenses related to the surgery. Weight loss surgery in a multidisciplinary setting includes services not traditionally considered medical care:

Advocacy for the insurance pre-determination process

Fitness/exercise training

Dietary education

Training about proper food preparation and diet phases after surgery and their progression

Bariatric coordinator call line availability

Preoperative education class

Twelve months of follow up with our professional multidisciplinary team

BLIS reinsurance program

We have bundled these typically non-covered services into a Surgical Weight Loss Program. We have worked with insurances and been successful in getting some of them to cover all or part of the cost of the Surgical Weight Loss Program.

When you come to our seminar, we will share with you whether or not your insurance plan has some expenses that are non-covered, based on our current contracts with them. We will have staff at our seminar to answer insurance and payment questions about your specific insurance plan. We have a full time employee to help you through the process of verifying your insurance benefits and finding out all the information you need to minimize any payment surprises.

No, I don’t have insurance coverage for weight loss surgery.

If you have an “exclusion” or do not have coverage for weight loss surgery, your insurance will not pay for your surgery. About 20% of our patients each year undergo surgery that they pay for out of their own pocket. If you have an exclusion your insurance will not pay for surgery even though you need it for serious medical conditions. At the New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery, we have insurance coverage for bariatric pre-pay patients that covers the cost of most major complications should one occur. BLIS reinsurance is included in your surgical weight loss program and is not available at any other center in East Tennessee. Please call the New Life Center to learn more about this unique program!

At our Seminar, we will discuss any payment arrangements or financing that we currently have available. Since we partner with outside agencies for these options, they may change from time to time.

Package Pricing for Bariatric Pre-Pay Patients

We have been very fortunate to partner with the area hospital systems so that we can offer you a package price for bariatric surgery. This price includes the following for an uncomplicated case:

Surgeon Fees

The hospital stay

The anesthesia for the surgery

For patients with adjustable gastric banding the first adjustment is included.

Twelve months follow up with our multidisciplinary team

The following is a list of the package prices by surgery:

RNY Gastric Bypass $22,100.00

Adjustable Gastric Banding $17,750.00

Biliary Pancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch $25,750.00

Gastric Sleeve $16,750.00

We look forward to helping you with every aspect of obtaining weight loss surgery, including the financing of the procedure. For all bariatric pre-pay patients, the initial consultation is free as we determine how we can best meet your weight loss goals. Please remember that if you ever have any issue with our practice that you are having difficulty resolving, please contact the office manager directly.

BLIS Information – Peace of Mind for the Pre-Pay Patient

The New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery is proud to announce their affiliation with BLIS. Becoming a BLIS surgeon is a very selective process as determined exclusively by BLIS. This means that Dr. Stephen G. Boyce, M.D. and Dr. K. Robert Williams, Jr., M.D. have met very high standards of short term outcomes and long term patient success.

As a result of our approval by BLIS we are able to participate in an innovative new insurance coverage which allows us to make a commitment to our bariatric pre-pay patients that should a covered complication occur within certain time frames following surgery, our patients are not responsible for the costs associated with the care of that complication.

** The complication protection is exclusively part of the package price you will pay for your weight loss surgery. We are happy to provide this benefit to our patients and ease your mind and your wallet in this important decision to have a life-saving surgery.

**Other terms and conditions apply; please contact our office and see self-pay contract for further details about this program.

Financing Options

We are constantly working to bring you various payment arrangement methods. Most surgery related fees are not due until after you are approved by any applicable insurance. This insures that you will be having surgery before you make payments. Also you can take advantage of the time during which you are preparing for surgery and meeting insurance guidelines to arrange payment or save for the expenses you will incur. As an additional benefit for pre-pay patients, the initial consultation will be free as we help you determine the best and most effective path to losing weight.

Our current options include the following:

Care Credit – We accept Care Credit, a credit card designed especially for health care services. Care Credit may be used for some but not all expenses relating to bariatric surgery. You may obtain more information from our staff or apply at www.carecredit.com. Short term Care Credit plans are offered to the patient at no interest. Longer terms are currently offered at 11.9% interest.

Medical Financing Solutions – We accept financing from Medical Financing Solutions. This may be used for some but not all expenses relating to bariatric surgery. You may obtain more information from our staff or apply at www.efinancing-solutions.com.

Monthly Bank Withdrawals – Fees that need to be paid by the patient to the surgeon (not hospital fees) may be paid ½ before surgery and the 2nd ½ after surgery via monthly automatic bank withdrawals. Also the amount due before surgery may be made in installments before surgery is scheduled.